The best outdoor activities in Wexford are based around its gorgeous beaches, from Curracloe to Morriscastle Beach. Visitors can indulge in paddleboarding, windsurfing, and kayaking. You can enjoy alternative outdoor fun at the Wexford Lavender Farm with its quay quad biking experiences and its golf courses.
Wexford’s positioning on the southeast of Ireland grants it the title of ‘sunniest county in Ireland’, ideal for the amount of outdoor activity the town is known for.
Continue reading for a detailed profile of each of Wexford’s renowned outdoor facilities. It will include prices, target age group, and, generally, why you should visit Wexford to experience it yourself.
1. Spend the day at Curracloe Beach
You can find fun at any beach on the Wexford coast, but Curracloe is a real hub of activity. Kids will love swimming in this Blue Flag approved beach, which is 11 kilometres in length. Lifeguards patrol the beach non-stop, making it a safe beach day for all.
For older kids, a multitude of watersports takes place on Curracloe Beach. The local Surf Shack offers surfboard hire, lessons, and other services you’d expect from a surf school. You can also find windsurfing and kayaking equipment here.
A Blue Flag reflects safety, quality, and cleanliness, and you can’t find many cleaner beaches in Ireland than Curracloe Beach. All required on-site amenities can be located near the four entrances to the beach, including toilets.
The blue azure of the water next to the white sand and resplendent embankment make for an idyllic setting to spend the whole day! The dunes that define the backdrop are part of the Raven Nature Reserve, where flora enthusiasts can spot rare wildflowers.
Curracloe is free to enter, but the cost for hiring equipment at the Surf Shack starts at €10.
2. Enliven your senses at the Wexford Lavender Farm
The Wexford Lavender Farm is a great outdoor experience and olfactory delight. The whole family can stroll through this dream-like farm, thrilling their senses with the different shades of purple and mixed smells of the different types of lavender.
Kids can pick out flowers that catch their eye to take home as they walk around the enchanted woodland loop walk. Over 70 years in the making, the Wexford Lavender Farm boasts over 2 acres of farmland and is home to an array of flowers from the lavender family.
This Wexford farm also features a kids park, stables, Billy the Bull, and a quad barrel train ride that children can hop on and off as they please.
The visitor information centre will teach mum, dad, and older kids a thing or two about the distilling process, while younger kids can enjoy browsing through the onsite gift shop.
You can round the day off at the Purple Haze Cafe, which offers homemade and lavender-inspired snacks. The Wexford Lavender Farm is free to enter for all, with a €3 parking charge.
3. Feed goats at the Wexford Secret Valley Wildlife Park
The Wexford Secret Valley Wildlife Park offers excellent outdoor activities for lovers of wildlife. With over 40 species, visitors can get close to exotic animals such as lizards, lemurs, and capuchin monkeys.
The Wexford Secret Valley Wildlife Park is also home to several more familiar animals, such as horses, lambs, and goats, to which kids can feed milk!
The whole family can learn about each species by tuning into the keeper talks as they stroll around the park grounds.
Kids can also get involved in the exciting secret treasure hunts that regularly take place and join the arts and crafts sessions.
The Wexford Secret Valley Wildlife Park costs €9.00 per child and €10.00 per adult. Kids under the age of 2 can enter for free.
4. Teach the older kids how to golf
Wexford is known for its fantastic golf courses, making for an excellent outdoor activity for you and your older kids. The verdant banks of the Bunclody Golf Course are the perfect place to learn how to pitch and putt.
The Bunclody Golf Course is an 18-hole course positioned adjacent to the River Slaney and covers 7,000 yards. If you’re seeking light exercise, as well as stunning greenery and woodland, this golf course is an ideal spot to spend the afternoon.
The club offers cheap entrance fees on weekdays, ranging between €20 and €35. Those under the age of 14 can enjoy a 15% discount. If you’re over the age of 55, you can also receive a similar price reduction.
While on the grounds, why not check out the club’s fishing zone, which is famous for catching trout.
5. Go snorkelling in Kilmore Quay
Kilmore Quay is a nearby seaside village that boasts many outdoor activities that are a must for families holidaying in Wexford. Kilmore Quay is the best place in the area for snorkelling and scuba diving.
Adventurous teens will love the quaint Kilmore Quay. The Wexford Sub Aqua Club, alongside other diving schools, take those willing on an underwater adventure.
Not only will divers learn about the diverse ecosystem of Wexford’s shores, but they will also explore nearby shipwrecks and uncover their mysteries.
You can also visit the nearby Saltee Islands, home to several colonies of seals, for more sea adventures. Puffins are also native residents of the islands, and mike, fin, and humpback whales are known to explore the waters that surround them.
The Wexford Sub Aqua Club offers diving experiences from as low as €10.
Kilmore Quay has lots of great property in its vicinity for those who want to make their whole holiday based around diving. The Castleview Holiday Home and Mill Road Farm Self-Catering Holiday Cottages are just 10 minutes away from the quay!
6. Race through County Wexford on a quadbike
Kids as young as six can participate in this high-adrenaline outdoor activity in the Wexford County village of Clonroche. Whether your kids just want to learn how to ride a quadbike or they fancy challenging their siblings to high-intensity races, they can do so at the Quadventure park.
Quadventure offers several different quadbike experiences to kids. Lengthy cross-country trails are available for those who want to challenge themselves, while shorter treks are available that are better suited to racing.
The peaceful background of the Blackstairs Mountains paired with the mud flying as the quadbike bounds along the trail will make this outdoor adventure a memorable experience.
If quad biking wasn’t high energy enough for you, Quadventure also offers rodeo, sumo suit fighting, and bungee experiences on its premises.
7. Go on a Wexford Harbour boat tour
Wexford has many outdoor points of historical interest, and the best way to experience the main ones is by going on a boat tour from Wexford Harbour. Common stops include the Saltee Islands and Hook Head.
Boat tours regularly run from Wexford Harbour and take you out to key points of interest over the Wexford coast.
The Hook peninsula is a must-see for all Wexford visitors, with dramatic cliff edge overhangs and terrific trails that run alongside it. Here you’ll find the Hook Lighthouse – the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world!
Hook Lighthouse has been guiding boats back to shore for over 800 years and is worth exploring inside as part of a guided tour.
Wexford Harbour itself is a great place to spend the afternoon. You certainly won’t go hungry upon returning from your boat trip, with plenty of fish and chips and ice cream vendors onsite. Wexford Harbour cultivates the image of a traditional marina and has a tremendous quaint allure to it.
Many different tours run from Wexford Harbour, so the price you pay depends on what company or tour you choose. Each tour will be an ideal day out for the family. It will provide you with a greater sense of the history and geography of the southeast of Ireland.
8. Ride a horse along the beach
Several Wexford-based horse riding schools offer great riding experiences for tourists, which can be a fun outdoor activity for the whole family. The sunny weather found in this corner of Ireland is perfect for a relaxed horseback ride.
The Anvil Lodge Riding School is one of many Wexford-based horse riding providers that can grant you such an experience. Saddle up and explore the surrounding Wexford woodlands, beaches, and historical sites.
Each riding school has its prices, depending on your horse riding destination and the length of time you want the experience to last.
Conclusion
Wexford has so much outdoor activity on offer that you might want to extend your holiday to fit it all in!
The best outdoor activities found in Wexford include water sports at Curracole Beach, snorkelling in Kilmore Quay, and quad biking at Quadventure. Others include horse riding, golfing, partaking in boat tours, and feeding animals at Wexford Secret Valley Wildlife Park.
You’ll need the best accommodation in Wexford to position you near all the outdoor activities and provide you with a comfortable place to rest after an action-packed day. Find the best holiday accommodations at Relax Ireland for your stay in the sunny county of Wexford.
